Digital media system for floral arrangements and related method

ABSTRACT

A digital media system for a floral arrangement includes a digital media player having an activation button extension adapted to facilitate manipulation when used with the floral arrangement, and a stand holding the digital media player and having at least one leg extending therefrom adapted to support the stand in a container of the floral arrangement. A method for combining digital media content with a floral arrangement includes loading digital media content onto a digital media player, and arranging the digital media player and a stand in a floral arrangement such that the stand extends into a container of the floral arrangement and the digital media player extends at least partially outside of the container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/070,319, filed on Mar. 21, 2008, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to floral arrangements and to digital media players.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Flowers are a traditional and popular gift item for almost any occasion. In addition to florist shops, flowers and flower arrangements are sold over the Internet, in supermarkets and numerous other venues. Despite their widespread appeal, flowers may sometimes be perceived as boring or unimaginative.

Based on the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide for the combination of digital media content with floral arrangements. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a digital media system for a floral arrangement includes a digital media player having an activation button extension adapted to facilitate manipulation when used with the floral arrangement, and a stand holding the digital media player and having at least one leg extending therefrom adapted to support the stand in a container of the floral arrangement.

According to a method aspect of the present invention, a method for combining digital media content with a floral arrangement includes loading digital media content onto a digital media player, and arranging the digital media player and a stand in a floral arrangement such that the stand extends into a container of the floral arrangement and the digital media player extends at least partially outside of the container.

These and other objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better appreciated in view of the drawings and following detailed description of a preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a digital media system for a floral arrangement, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic partial perspective view of the system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a digital media system 10 for a floral arrangement includes a digital media player 12 supported by a stand 14. The player 12 and stand 14 are arranged in a container 16 with a floral arrangement 18.

The digital media player 12 can include, for example, a typical flash memory-based mp3 player. Preferably, the player 12 includes enough memory to allow play of several minutes of digital media content, such as audio and/or video content. The player 12 has a control section 20 with standard controls, including an activation button 22. Advantageously, an activation button extension 24 extends outwardly from the activation button 22. Preferably, the activation button extension 24 is dimensioned such that it extends beyond a portion of the floral arrangement 18, facilitating manipulation by a user.

The stand 14 includes a dock 30 and a plurality of legs 32. The dock 30 allows the stand 14 to support and mate with the digital media player 12. Speakers 34 on the dock 30 allow audio content to played to a floral arrangement 18 recipient without the need for earphones. The plurality of legs 34 extend into the container 16 and allow the digital media player 12 to extend beyond the container 16. A stand base 36 is arranged in the bottom of the container 16 to receive the legs 32.

In operation, a flower giver selects the floral arrangement 18, with the container 16 and opts to combine digital media content with the gift of flowers. This selection could be made in connection with any method of flower sales, for example, in person, with a florist or other vendor, or remotely, over the telephone or Internet. The giver selects desired digital media content, for example one or more songs. The digital media content is then loaded on the digital media player 12.

The stand 14 and the digital medial player 12 are then arranged in the container 16 such that the stand legs 32 extend into the container 16 with the player 12 supported outside of the container 16. The activation button extension 24 extends outside of the floral arrangement 18. The giver then gifts the flowers to the desired recipient, which could accomplished, for example, in person or via a third party carrier. The recipient pushes the activation button extension 24, resulting in playing of the digital media content loaded in the digital media player 12.

In general, the foregoing description is provided for exemplary and illustrative purposes; the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Rather, those skilled in the art will appreciate that additional modifications, as well as adaptations for particular circumstances, will fall within the scope of the invention as herein shown and described and the claims appended hereto. 

1. A digital media system for a floral arrangement comprising: a digital media player having an activation button extension adapted to facilitate manipulation when used with the floral arrangement; and a stand holding the digital media player and having at least one leg extending therefrom adapted to support the stand in a container of the floral arrangement.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising the floral arrangement and the container.
 3. A method for combining digital media content with a floral arrangement, the method comprising: loading digital media content onto a digital media player; arranging the digital media player and a stand in a floral arrangement such that the stand extends into a container of the floral arrangement and the digital media player extends at least partially outside of the container.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the digital media player includes an activation button extension and arranging the digital media player and the stand in a floral arrangement includes arranging the digital media player and the stand such that the activation button extends beyond a portion of the floral arrangement. 